A Year of Blogging: November 11, 2011

November 11 is Veteran's Day. Germany signed an Armistice Agreement at 5am on November 11, 1918 to end WWI. Arms were laid down on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Nine million soldiers died in WWI. Another 21 million were left wounded. At least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure. World War I was called 'The War to End All Wars'. The destruction was so great that people thought it would be enough to keep countries from fighting. Sadly, that wasn't the case. A mere 21 years later, countries were at war again. There are a couple of generations that saw two world wars in their lifetime. As I work on my family history, I frequently find draft cards for men from both WWI and WWII. While they may have been teenagers or men in their 20's during WWI, they were nearing middle age when they were drafted again. Today is a day to honor Veterans. There are several Veterans in my family. My Grandpa, my Uncle Don, Uncle Frank, and Uncle Ray. My cousin Keith and his wife Marci are still in the military, Keith in the reserves and Marci is active Navy. I have friends who have served, or are still serving. I am grateful to them each and every day for their service. Freedom isn't free, and we all need to remember that. So while it's great to say Thank You to them today, lets also remember our Veterans and Military people tomorrow and six weeks from now. Saying thank you seems so insignificant for the sacrifices they have made. They say there is strength in numbers, so if we all say it, then our simple expression becomes a powerful beacon for those keeping us safe.